Recipes for a new teenage vegetarian

[Guest guest]

Hi all

Our 16 year old son is a new vegetarian. We are desperately looking

for recipes that are both tempting to a teenager's palate and

nutritious! Also, any recommendations on websites for nutritional

guidance would be greatly appreciated. We definitely want to respect

his dietary decisions but want him to be healthy as well!

Thanks

[Guest guest]

How wonderful for your son! You must be very proud of his choice.

 

First, what are his eating habits? Is/was he more of a meat and potatoes, pizza

and tacos sort or more open to trying new foods? There are some great recipes

in the files with foods he will find easier to eat if he is very new to

different foods and vegetarianism. (Taco bake with or without TVP, pizza, bean

burgers, stuff like that.) One of my vegetarian sons has always been more

willing to explore new and different foods. The other likes " normal " vegetable

based foods but not tofu.

 

There are doctors and others who will say that he won't be able to get all the

nutrients needed in a vegetarian diet. Foo to them. Other studies have shown

that children and adolescents who are vegetarian have less cardiovascular

disease as adults. A healthy, balanced diet is possible for a vegetarian.

 

One site I like to keep my diet in check is http://www.calorie-count.com/

This could be helpful for your son as he learns how to balance his diet. IMP, it

isn't :just " for people trying to watch their weight, but for all who are

watching their nutrition. Two of the features I find most helpful are the daily

analysis, which is given as a letter grade as well as a pie chart showing

protein, carbs, and fat; and the recipe analyzer which lets me put in my recipes

and it breaks them down into fats,carbs, proteins, etc. Since one is able to

insert foods not on the list, if you have the ingredients, etc, I put my meds in

as a tagged item and it keeps them easy to keep track of. I even have my

vitamin on the list as a tagged item. Since using this site, I have been

surprised to find many of the foods I thought were healthy are actually

marginally so.

 

There are a lot of sites on the web concerning vegetarianism and adolescents.

Some are worth reading. Some........eh. I used " raising child as vegetarian " as

the search term in Google and there are some good things there that may help.

 

Personally I think you already have the best thing already in place for his

transition to veg life, you have this awesome support group.

 

Best wishes from another veggie in the garden! Jeanne in GA

 

 

 

Everyone is raving about the all-new Mail beta.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Wonderful!! This group has soooo very many recipes in the files section. Just

have him sit down at the computer and go through them. He's sure to find

something he likes.

 

I became a vegetarian when I was 12, and my parents pretty much made me fend for

myself. That's really awesome that you're being supportive of his decision!!

 

Your son will get everything he needs from plant-based foods. My husband is

vegetarian other than a very occasional meal and he is in the Air Force, one of

the fastest runners in his PT group.

 

 

 

 

Kadee Sedtal

 

Build a man a fire and he'll stay warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he'll

stay warm the rest of his life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone is raving about the all-new Mail beta.

 

 

[Guest guest]

That is great! If he is a vegetarian, but not found of vegetables : ) there are

some great

convenience type foods to help with transition-Morning star farms buffalo wings,

Amy's

veggie burgers,..if you have an organic type aisle/freezer section at the

grocery store take

a gander.

 

Of course it is ideal to follow a more whole food approach. Also, keep in mind

old

favorites that don't " need " to have meet in them. Spaghetti with soy meatballs,

and

chopped mushrooms in the sauce, pizza with peppers and spinach, tacos with soy

meat

or beans as the main filling, Soups made with veg broth, or " No

Chicken-Chicken " broth,

veg chili, add burger crumbles (found in the freezer made by morning star farms

and

others) or extra beans and you won't miss the meat.

 

and for sure there are good recipes in the files on this sight! Veg web is a

good recipe

sight as well and it tends to have comments and ratings from people who have

tried the

recipes.

good luck!

melissa p

 

 

 

 

 

, treazure noname <treazured wrote:

>

> How wonderful for your son! You must be very proud of his choice.

>

> First, what are his eating habits? Is/was he more of a meat and potatoes,

pizza and

tacos sort or more open to trying new foods? There are some great recipes in

the files

with foods he will find easier to eat if he is very new to different foods and

vegetarianism.

(Taco bake with or without TVP, pizza, bean burgers, stuff like that.) One of

my vegetarian

sons has always been more willing to explore new and different foods. The other

likes

" normal " vegetable based foods but not tofu.

>

> There are doctors and others who will say that he won't be able to get all the

nutrients

needed in a vegetarian diet. Foo to them. Other studies have shown that

children and

adolescents who are vegetarian have less cardiovascular disease as adults. A

healthy,

balanced diet is possible for a vegetarian.

>

> One site I like to keep my diet in check is http://www.calorie-count.com/

> This could be helpful for your son as he learns how to balance his diet. IMP,

it isn't :just "

for people trying to watch their weight, but for all who are watching their

nutrition. Two

of the features I find most helpful are the daily analysis, which is given as a

letter grade as

well as a pie chart showing protein, carbs, and fat; and the recipe analyzer

which lets me

put in my recipes and it breaks them down into fats,carbs, proteins, etc. Since

one is able

to insert foods not on the list, if you have the ingredients, etc, I put my meds

in as a

tagged item and it keeps them easy to keep track of. I even have my vitamin on

the list as

a tagged item. Since using this site, I have been surprised to find many of the

foods I

thought were healthy are actually marginally so.

>

> There are a lot of sites on the web concerning vegetarianism and adolescents.

Some are

worth reading. Some........eh. I used " raising child as vegetarian " as the

search term in

Google and there are some good things there that may help.

>

> Personally I think you already have the best thing already in place for his

transition to

veg life, you have this awesome support group.

>

> Best wishes from another veggie in the garden! Jeanne in GA

>

>

>

> Everyone is raving about the all-new Mail beta.

>

>